Resident makeup expert and fellow Boxer Yvonne from UK is not your average university student. The passionate makeup lover thrives on all things beauty-related, and is our Boxer spotlight of this month. Armed with a skill set that belies her age along with a tenacious spirit, Boxer Yvonne shares with us her beauty must-haves along with a simple yet ultra chic makeup tutorial below:

1. Tell us more about yourself from a professional capacity.

Well, technically I’m not a professional (yet). Born and raised in Malaysia, I am a full time student/part time Boxer (although it feels like my passion is really actually in shopping). I’m currently pursuing a Masters in Pharmacy from Kings College London and will be starting my final year soon. If any of you are interested in hauling items from the UK with my help, just “Request for Boxer Yvonne” when you title your order and it will be assigned to me!

2. How did you become interested in makeup?

My earliest recollection of makeup was when I was 14, sitting in front of a computer trying to figure out who Michelle Phan was. She was and still is an inspiration – the pioneer of the beauty community of YouTube. In my opinion, the sexiest thing a girl could wear is confidence. Makeup helps boost that confidence. It’s intriguing to see how a handful of products can make any person feel just that much better about themselves, myself included. But makeup is also much more than that. It gives you the avenue to transform yourself into different characters; be it for Halloween, events or just weekends out. It also allows you to express yourself through different looks and gives you that immediate boost of confidence.

3. What is your beauty obsession or weakness?

I am a self-proclaimed beauty enthusiast so I don’t really have just one obsession. More like I’m obsessed with all products! But if I had to pick one, it would be lip products. I currently have about 150 lip products ranging from lipsticks to lip glosses and lip liners—can’t be too spoilt for choice, right?

4. How did you find out about ShopandBox?

A friend of mine actually joined ShopandBox. I thought the whole concept of having a personal shopper on the other side of the world was rather intriguing, so I did my research which got me really keen on being part of this “revolution”. Everyone is now connected with a click of a button, so to be able to utilise that and apply it to shopping was a massive upside for me. It also enables me to work from home so that my school workload wouldn’t get in the way.

5. As a Boxer yourself, how is your experience using ShopandBox?

As a Boxer predominantly working with makeup orders, there was no way I could turn down using this platform as a shopper myself. I had an order sorted from the loveliest US Boxer Leila. My next order should be coming from Korea, the land of endless quirky makeup choices and amazing skincare.

6. What is the best beauty advice you’ve received?

Remove, remove and remove your makeup. Clean skin saves you half the work when you’re applying makeup. So if there’s one piece of advice I could offer, it would be to always remove your makeup before you go to bed. As a university student, I understand that you get lazy especially after a long night out. But leaving your makeup on dehydrates your skin. It also creates an environment for bacteria and germs to thrive in—so remember to remove all that dirt in your pores before you tuck in, or get someone to do it for you!

7. Who do you follow on Instagram for #makeupgoals?

My current go-to Instagrammer is Thai beauty vlogger and makeup artist @PearyPie. Her feed is beautifully curated and so much thought is put into editing her videos. All her videos are works of art and definitely should be checked out.

8. As a Boxer, what are the top 3 must-haves in your makeup bag?

Being in the UK, I travel quite a fair bit to Europe. But I will never leave home without my Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer, M.A.C Cosmetics Prep + Prime Fix+ and Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara.

9. What’s on your wishlist?

As a student, sometimes high-end beauty products are out of my range. So right now, I’m saving up for the La Prairie Foundation which has garnered high recommendations but with a price tag that reflects that.

10. Are you a makeup or skincare addict?

Guilty as charged for being a makeup addict. But sometimes I do go crazy over skincare too.

Featured image: Boxer Yvonne

A journalist who enjoys covering features across the fashion, beauty and lifestyle industry, Anna's work has appeared on Kinfolk, Portland Monthly, Buro 24/7 Malaysia. While globe-trotting and sampling different cuisines along the way is on top of her favourite-things-to-do list, nothing beats curling up with a good book and a cuppa joe.